Frances Messano Opening Remarks | NewSchools Summit 2026

Kids are asking a hard question. Adults need to answer it. In her opening remarks at NewSchools Summit 2026, NewSchools CEO Frances Messano makes the case for why education can no longer tinker at the edges. The school promise — work hard, get ahead — is breaking down. Barely a third of students read proficiently. Nearly two-thirds of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. And a generation is watching the social contract come apart in real time. But Messano doesn't stop at the problem. She points to what's already being built: schools where students take college courses, earn real credentials, and graduate with a sense of purpose and power. Learning solutions showing double-digit impacts. More than 1,800 innovators who applied for NewSchools funding this year alone — double the number from five years ago, with 80% former educators, 60% leaders of color, and more than 60% women founders. Her challenge to the field: stop fighting for what we once built. Build something families will love and fight for. And do it together. Featured speaker: Frances Messano, CEO, NewSchools Venture Fund NewSchools Summit 2026 | Build What's Next | San Francisco, CA Watch all NewSchools Summit 2026 sessions:    • NewSchools Summit 2026   Learn more: newschools.org #NewSchoolsSummit #BuildWhatsNext #FrancesMessano #EducationInnovation #K12Education #FutureOfSchool #EducationEquity #VenturePhilanthropy #NewSchoolsVentureFund #SchoolReform #StudentAgency